Literature review on clinical characterization of 145 cases with acute tetraethyl lead poisoning

Objective The clinical data of patients diagnosed as acute tetraethyl lead poisoning reported by different authors in Chinese journals were summarized to provide theoretical basis for the revision of the diagnosis criteria of occupational acute tetraethyl lead poisoning in China. Methods The published articles related to tetraethyl lead poisoning were searched in the data bank, including Wanfang network database, CBM network database and CNKI network database, with a key term tetraethyl lead. The clinical data, laboratory examination and prognosis were sumarized. Results A total of 18 articles were found and 145 cases were enrolled. It was noted that the early symptoms of acute tetraethyl lead poisoning were insomnia, dreaminess and headache. Then the patients gradually developed affective disorder such as irritability, impatience, anxiety, or indifferent, slowness to respond. Psychotic symptoms such as restless, mental confusion, hallucination, delirium, delusion, personality changes, violence, and epileptic seizure, coma could be found in severe patients,and 6%-8% of these patients had "three-low" symptoms. Blood lead level increased in the majority of these patients, while urine lead level varied widely. Conclusion The clinical manifestations of acute tetraethyl lead poisoning were psychiatric symptoms and disturbance of consciousness. The key point of treatment is to control mental disorders.